Den building kit

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a kit of parts for use in den building. A plurality of parts is provided in which each part has an engagement portion and a connector ( 10 ). Each connector ( 10 ) is releasably engageable with each other connection ( 10 ). The parts may be assembled and can be attached to items of household furniture to build a den.

This invention relates to a kit of parts for use in den building.

Dens are generally temporary structures that can be made indoors (known as the built environment) or outdoors, for recreational purposes or for camping or during outdoor adventures and the like. A typical den will include a sheet of soft material that defines the roof of the den. The sheet of soft material is commonly supported by a stick or is draped over a piece of string fastened between two supporting structures.

However, in the absence of a dedicated den-building kit, limitations exist when making dens within the built environment because there are many objects onto which string cannot be conveniently fastened and there are many objects onto which sheets of soft material cannot be conveniently secured. For example, string cannot readily be tied to window ledges, door frames or table tops and it is not practical to affix a sheet of soft material directly onto these indoor fittings. Similarly, it is not practical to secure an upstanding stick at a chosen position on the indoor floor space without tying the stick to a chair or other object. In the latter case, the chair or other object becomes a part of the den, occupying a proportion of the space beneath the sheet of soft material. In many cases, this is not desired.

Simple den building kits for use in the built environment exist, having a both a plurality of sticks or tubes and a plurality of connector modules into which the sticks or tubes can be inserted, thereby allowing several sticks or tubes to be fixed together in various configurations. Sheets of soft material can then be draped over the assembled sticks or tubes. However, dens built using these kits are limited in size by the strength and number of sticks provided. Furthermore, these simple den building kits do not facilitate interaction with indoor fittings such as those mentioned above. A need exists for a means of effectively integrating dens with the built environment to enable den makers to interact with their indoor surroundings and to build larger, sturdier dens.

At its most general, the present invention provides a variety of individual parts that can be used in den building. In one aspect, these parts are provided as a kit of parts. Preferably, each part has an engagement portion and a connector. Preferably, the connector of each part is the same as the connector of every other part. Preferably every connector is interconnectable with every other connector, i.e. the connectors are releasably engagable with each other. Preferred embodiments include one or more such parts in which the engagement portion is adapted to attach to an external element such as an item of household furniture, preferably with little or no risk of damage, such as scratches or tears, to the furniture. In some embodiments, every engagement portion in the kit of parts is adapted for attachment, e.g. to an item of household furniture or to an outdoor element such as branches of trees or directly into soft ground. Using connectors that are configured to be interconnectable with every other connector is advantageous because it allows complete interchangeability of parts, meaning that every part can directly connect to every other part. The skilled person understands that this can be achieved in a variety of ways.

Preferably, each connector has a face with a projection that has an undercut, the face also defining a recess delimited by an edge portion. Two such connectors can be releasably engaged to each other by moving their faces towards each other so that each projection extends into the recess of the other connector, and then rotating the faces relative to each other to engage the recess edge of each connector with the undercut of each other connector, to secure the connectors together. The connectors can be disengaged by effecting relative rotation in the opposite direction to disengage the recess edge of each connector from the undercut of the other connector. Preferably the face of the connector is substantially circular and has a diameter of about 1 cm, about 2 cm, about 3 cm, about 4 cm or about 5 cm, and the skilled person would understand that the diameter could take any value from this range and could be defined as taking a value from within a range defined by largest and smallest values selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 cm in some embodiments. The connector can be mounted flush with the surface of the part, or it can be housed within an elevated rim adapted to be received by a recess or hole of another part.

In some embodiments the connector has a projection and a recess for receiving the projection. The projection and recess may be equidistant from the central point of the connector. Connectors of this embodiment could be of the size and/or dimensions defined above or they may of a substantially different configuration.

The den building kit may include a part having an engagement portion that is a clamp, which is able to be connected to any one of the other parts of the kit via its connector. The clamp can be clamped onto a table top, window sill or other suitable household surface to anchor the den to these household items. The clamp can also be used to engage outdoor items such as branches of trees. The connector is used to secure another part of the den building kit to the household or outdoor item via the clamp part. Optionally, a clamp may be provided with two or more connectors. The clamp part may be provided separately from the rest of the kit, i.e. as an individual part.

The den building kit may include a part having an engagement portion that is a hook, which is able to be connected to any one of the other parts of the kit via its connector. This part can hook onto household rails, table legs or the headboard of a bed, for example. The hook can also be used to engage outdoor items such as branches of trees. The advantage that the hook part has over string or rope is that it is easy to secure other parts of the den building kit directly to the hook via its connector. The hook part may be provided separately.

The den building kit may include a part having an engagement portion that is an adaptor for securing to a sheet of soft material. In one embodiment, the adaptor may have a ring through which a sheet of soft material can be pulled to secure it within the ring. In preferred embodiments, the ring can have inwardly facing flaps, optionally made of resilient material, which allow the adaptor to grip a sheet of soft material tightly. This enables the adaptor to retain the sheet of soft material even if it is pulled or tugged during use. In other embodiments, the adaptor may have clips, pegs or clamps for gripping the sheet of soft material. The adaptor part may be provided separately.

The den building kit may include a part having an engagement portion that is a rod. The rod part can be used, for example, by securing it to a clamp part that is attached to a window sill, which thereby holds the rod substantially horizontal, allowing a sheet of soft material to be draped over it. In some embodiments, the rod has a connector at each end. The rod part may be provided separately.

The den building kit may include a part having an engagement portion that is a suction pad for attaching onto a flat surface, which may be provided separately. The den building kit may include a part having a connector directly attached to a sheet of soft material. For this sheet part, the sheet of soft material can be considered to be the engagement portion. The sheet of soft material may be attached to multiple connectors and/or have further engagement portions attached to it. In some embodiments, the sheet part has a connector attached in the vicinity of each corner of the sheet, i.e., adjacent each corner. The sheet may be substantially rectangular or substantially triangular and it may be provided separately.

The den building kit may include a part having an engagement portion that is a peg for sinking into the ground, enabling the den building kit to be used outside. The peg can be used with the rod part to secure the rod in an upstanding orientation upon the ground. The peg can also be used with the sheet part to anchor the sheet to the ground. The peg part may be provided separately.

Some engagement portions of the parts according to this invention are designed to be able to attach to an item of household furniture. In practice, these engagement portions that are adapted to attach to an item of household furniture can be secured directly to indoor or outdoor items without using string, glue or other adhesives.

The den building kit may include a master module that has a plurality of connectors, allowing a plurality of parts to be secured to it. The master module may be substantially disc shaped and have a plurality of connectors arranged along the disc's perimeter, or it may be substantially spherical, cuboidal or of any shape suitable for presenting multiple connectors. The connectors should be of the type described above to facilitate releasable engagement with the other parts of the kit. Distribution of the connectors octahedrally along the perimeter of the disc enables other parts to be connected to each other via the master module at convenient angles such as 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°. Disc shaped master modules may be provided with central connector or a central connector-receiving portion. The central connector-receiving portion could be a recess adapted to receive a connector. By having a connector or other connector-receiving portion at the centre of the disc, the disk can rest upon the floor of a room and the rod part can be secured into the centre of the disc, which thereby acts as a foot to hold the rod in an upstanding orientation upon the floor.

Preferably the central connector-receiving portion is a recess defining a hole, which is of size and shape for receiving a connector. Preferably the recess extends to the perimeter of the disc, thereby also defining a slot. The slot is configured to allow a first disc-shaped master module to be slotted together with a second disc-shaped master module. This can be achieved by aligning the slots, co-axially inclining the first disc by 90 degrees with respect to the second disc, and then sliding the discs together. To ensure that the discs slot together securely, a notch can be present on the slot with a complementary nib being present on the disc surface for engaging the notch of the slot of another disc. In a most preferred embodiment seven connectors and the slot are positioned in an octahedral arrangement at the disc perimeter.

In alternative embodiments, a kit of parts may be provided that includes parts with engagement portions as described herein, wherein each part has a connection means. In these embodiments, each connection means is not required to be the same, or to be interconnectable or releasably engagable with every other connection means. In this embodiment, the den building kit may include one or more, two or more, three or more, four or more, five or more or six or more parts selected from the following list of parts, each having a connection means: a clamp part, a hook part, a suction pad part, a rod part, a peg part, an adaptor part for securing to a sheet of soft material, a sheet part having integral connectors and a master module part having several connection means.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows two identical connectors for use in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A shows a substantially disc-shaped master module for use in an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2B shows a pair of substantially disc-shaped master modules that are slotted together; FIG. 2C shows a substantially disc-shaped master module with a rod part secured in its central connector-receiving hole;

FIG. 3 shows a rod part for use in an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4A to E respectively show a clamp part, a hook part, a peg part, a suction pad part, and an adaptor for securing to a sheet of soft material.

One example of the connectors 10 for use in an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1. Each connector 10 has a face 12 having a projection 14 with an undercut 16. The face also defines a recess 18 delimited by an edge portion 19. The connectors are connected together by placing the projection 14 of one the first connector 10 into the recess 18 of the second connector 10 such that the projection 14 of the second connector 10 is placed into the recess 18 of the other connector 10, and then rotating the connectors relative to each other to engage the edge portion 19 of each recess 18 into the undercut 16 of the opposite connector. In this embodiment, the projector 14 is domed and the edge portion 19 is rounded, facilitating location of a projector 14 into the recess 18 of another like connector.

One example of a substantially disc-shaped master module 20, having seven connectors 10, is shown in FIG. 2(A). The substantially disc-shaped master module 20 also has an opening 22 defining a hole 24 and a slot 26. The slot 26 has a notch 27. The substantially disc-shaped master module 20 also has a nib 28, which is a protrusion that is complementary to the notch 27. The notch 27 is adapted to clip onto the nib 28 of a like master module when slotted together. FIG. 2(B) shows the substantially disc-shaped master module 20 slotted together with a further, identical substantially disc-shaped master module 20. FIG. 2(C) shows a rod part 30 according to the invention connected to the substantially disc-shaped master module 20. The connector 10 of the rod part 30 is secured within the hole 24 of the substantially disc-shaped master module 20.

FIG. 3 shows one example of a rod part for use in an embodiment of the invention. The rod part has two connectors 10, each of which is housed within a cylindrical rim 32 that is adapted to be received by the hole 24 of the master module 20 depicted in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4(A) shows one example of a clamp part for use in an embodiment of the invention, having a connector 10 and a propeller screw 42 for moving the top jaw of the clamp 44 relative to the lower jaw of the clamp 46. FIG. 4(B) shows a one example of a hook part for use in an embodiment of the invention, having a connector 10. FIG. 4(C) shows one example of a peg part for use in an embodiment of the invention, having a connector 10 and a peg with ridges 48. FIG. 4(D) shows one example of a suction pad part for use in an embodiment of the invention, having a connector 10 and a domed suction disc 52. FIG. 4(E), shows one example of an adaptor part for use in an embodiment of the invention, for securing to a sheet of soft material. The adaptor part has a connector 10 and a ring 54 with inwardly facing flaps 56 for gripping a sheet of soft material.

The skilled person will understand that the den building kits described herein are suitable for use indoors and/or outdoors. 

1. A den building kit comprising a plurality of parts, each part having an engagement portion and a connector, wherein each connector is releasably engagable with each other connector, wherein each engagement portion is adapted for attachment to an item of household furniture, wherein the connector of each part is the same as the connector of every other part.
 2. A den building kit according to claim 1, wherein each connector has a face with a projection having an undercut, the face also defining a recess delimited by an edge portion, wherein, in use, first and second like connectors are releasably engaged by moving their faces towards each other so that each projection extends into the recess of the other connector; and then effecting relative rotation so that withdrawal is resisted by engagement of recess edge portions in undercuts.
 3. A den building kit according to claim 1, wherein at least one engagement portion is a clamp.
 4. A den building kit according to claim 1, further comprising a master module that has a plurality of said connectors.
 5. A den building kit according to claim 4, wherein the master module comprises a disc, and the plurality of said connectors are arranged along the disc's perimeter.
 6. A den building kit according to claim 4, wherein the master module has a recess for receiving the connector of another part.
 7. A den building kit according to claim 6, wherein the recess defines a hole for receiving the connector of another part and a slot that allows the master module to slot together with a further master module.
 8. A den building kit according to claim 7, wherein the master module has seven said connectors, wherein the slot and the seven connectors are arranged octahedrally along the disc's perimeter.
 9. A den building kit according to claim 1, wherein at least one engagement portion is a hook.
 10. A den building kit according to claim 1, wherein at least one engagement portion is an adaptor for attaching to a sheet of soft material, wherein the adaptor comprises a ring adapted to grip the sheet of soft material.
 11. A den building kit according to claim 1, further comprising a peg for sinking into the ground, the peg having a said connector.
 12. A den building kit according to claim 1, further comprising a rod, the rod having a said connector.
 13. A den building kit according to claim 1, wherein at least one engagement portion is a suction pad.
 14. A den building kit according to claim 1, wherein at least one engagement portion is a sheet.
 15. A den building kit according to claim 1, the kit including: a clamp part, a suction pad part, a hook part, and an adaptor part for securing to a sheet of soft material.
 16. A part for use with a den building kit according to claim 2, the part having a connector comprising a face with a projection having an undercut, the face also defining a recess delimited by an edge portion, wherein, in use, first and second like connectors are releasably engaged by moving their faces towards each other so that each projection extends into the recess of the other connector; and then effecting relative rotation so that withdrawal is resisted by engagement of recess edge portions in undercuts.
 17. A part according to claim 16, further comprising an engagement portion which is a clamp, a hook, a peg, a rod, a suction pad, a sheet, or an adaptor for attaching to a sheet of soft material. 